Modeling Scenario

This page is accessed via Logistics Network Modeling > Modeling Scenario. It can also be accessed by clicking New Modeling Scenario on the Modeling Project screen.

Once you have created a modeling project, you are ready to create modeling scenarios. Logistics Network Modeling (LNM) provides you with a number of extremely powerful data selection, data change, and bulk plan simulation tools that you can use to configure your modeling scenarios.

Modeling scenarios allow you to model data changes and parameters and see how the bulk plan results would change. There are many different ways to model scenarios depending on the type of change you want to model. Some require more set up or configuration than others.

• Saved Query Type/Order Saved Query: this allows you to easily select a different set of orders to consider in each of your modeling scenarios.
• Parameter set, Itinerary or Itinerary profile on the header can be changed without making other configuration changes.
• Parameter Overrides: allows you to select the parameter (either based on logic configuration or the parameter set) and override the existing value with the value entered here. See Single Leg Consolidation Use Case.
• Scenario Data Changes should be used when you want to "set" a specific field on a specific object. Also for order releases only, you can insert, delete, or update data. These changes override the changes made by data rules. See Rate Change Use Case.
• Data rules should be used to do mass updates; if you want to make the same change to lots of objects. In addition, data rules should be used when you want to perform an operation other than "Set", such as Increase, Decrease, Clear and so on. You  can use data rules for a change such as increasing freight volume 15%. The options shown may vary depending on the rule. See the use case Change Source Location.
• Bulk Plan Specification: This allows you to define multiple bulk plan specifications. Each one can potentially run multiple bulk plans, all within the context of one scenario. If you run three bulk plans a day for seven days, you can model all of those with different data. Then you can see the difference for the week. You can compare running two bulk plans a day versus four. See Multi-day Bulk Plan Use Case for Network Modeling.

Adding a Modeling Scenario

1. Enter a meaningful Modeling Scenario ID. For example, you can enter a Modeling Scenario ID of DC1 AS SOURCE LOCATION if there are 2 scenarios; 1 for each of the source locations.
2. Enter a Modeling Scenario Name such as DC1 AS THE SOURCE LOCATION.
3. Enter a Description to capture the purpose of the scenario.
4. Enter the Modeling Project ID if this is created directly. If creating the modeling scenario from a modeling project, that project ID will be used so this field will not be visible.
5. Enter a Parameter Set ID. This will allow you to change a parameter setting in your scenario. If not populated, the one on the project is used. If neither exists, the domain default will be used.
6. Select a Modeling Scenario Type. Options are Shipment Planning or Work Assignment. This determines the Saved Query Type that you can select.
7. Select a Saved Query Type. Options are Order Release, Order Movement, or Shipment. This defines the query that can be selected in the Saved Query ID. OTM ignores all scenario level itinerary constraints when planning order movements in a scenario.
8. Enter an Saved Query ID. This defines the input orders releases, order movements, or shipments for the Scenario Bulk Plan and Scenario Work Assignment Optimization. If specified, it is the default value for all scenarios for this project.
   
   An order release or order movement saved query must be selected for either the modeling project or the modeling scenario. You cannot use the same saved query ID for both order releases and order movements. If not populated, the one on the project will be used.
9. The Parameter Override allows you to select the parameter (either based on logic configuration or the parameter set) and override the existing value with the value entered here. Parameters entered here will take precedence over the parameters defined on the Parameter Set (on the scenario) during the Scenario Bulk Plan.
10. Optionally, select an Itinerary ID or Itinerary Profile ID. These work in tandem and connect to the order's fixed itinerary and fixed itinerary profile:

• If there is an itinerary constraint on order release, we will ignore the itinerary constraints on Modeling Scenario and Modeling Project. Similarly, if there is an itinerary profile constraint on order release, we will ignore the itinerary profile constraints on Modeling Scenario and Modeling Project.
• Itinerary constraint on Modeling Scenario will override the itinerary constraint on Modeling Project. Similarly, Itinerary profile constraint on Modeling Scenario will override the itinerary profile constraint on Modeling Project.
• Note that data rules are applied before analyzing the itinerary and itinerary profile constraints, to be established on order releases, for scenario planning. Itinerary and itinerary profile constraints are ignored for order-movement based scenario planning.
• Itinerary and itinerary profile constraints are finalized on order releases using above mechanism. Itinerary constraint will override itinerary profile constraint, if order release has both constraints.

Modeling Scenario Data Rules

Enter Modeling Scenario Data Rules: You can add, edit and delete data rule instances.

1. Enter a Sequence Number. This defines the sequence in which the data rule instances are applied on the scenario data during the execution of scenario bulk plan. The sequence numbers are numeric values. The grid automatically re-sequences the numbers and display the records in ascending order. If you enter a negative number for a record, the grid assigns the sequence number of 1 to that record and re-sequences the records in the grid. If you enter a high value (more than the number of records in the grid), the grid will assign a value of total records in the grid plus one to that record and add the record to the end of the grid. If you want to add a rule with sequence number 2 (for example), you can add the record with that sequence number. The existing records will be re-sequenced and sorted in correct order.
2. Enter a Data Rule Instance ID to be associated to the scenario.
3. Enter a Saved Query Filter ID which returns the list of objects on which the data rules defined on the data rule instances will be applied.
4. Click Save.
5. Enter any additional modeling scenario data rules needed. Click Save after each.

Including Sourcing and Rate Maintenance Rates

Since rates uploaded to OTM via Sourcing and Rate Maintenance are read only and inactive, they are not used in OTM bulk planning. You can set up a modeling scenario with data rules which change these non-operational rates into operational rates for the a scenario bulk plan. You can then run a second scenario bulk plan that uses operational rates. And finally, you can use the Compare Modeling Scenario Plan Result action to see the two scenario bulk plans side-by-side.

For rates created using Sourcing:

When you create rates using Sourcing, the IS_SOURCING_RATE is set to true/yes at the Rate Offering level and false at the Rate Record level.

To include Sourcing rates in your LNM scenario bulk plan, you only need to set IS_SOURCING_RATE to false/no on the rate offering using data rules.

For rates created using Rate Maintenance:

When you create rates using Rate Maintenance, the IS_SOURCING_RATE is set to true/yes on both the Rate Offering and Rate Record levels.

To include Rate Maintenance rates in your LNM scenario bulk plan, you should set IS_SOURCING_RATE set to false/no for all rate offerings and rate records using data rules.

Example

Let's review a possible setup.

1. Create a modeling scenario to bulk plan Sourcing or Rate Maintenance rates.
2. Create a data rule definition that includes the columns IS_ACTIVE and IS_SOURCING_RATE.
3. Create a data rule instance (for example, MAKE SOURCING RATES OPERATIONAL) with the following:
   1. Parameter Name of IS SOURCING RATE.
   2. Operand of SET
4. Add this new data rule instance to the modeling scenario and specify a Saved Query Filter which returns the sourcing rates you want to use.
5. Create a second data rule instance (for example, SWITCH OFF OTM OPERATIONAL RATES) with the following:
   1. Parameter Name of IS ACTIVE.
   2. Operand of SET
6. Add this second data rule instance to the modeling scenario and specify a saved query filter which returns the OTM operational rates that you do not want to use.
7. Create a second modeling scenario with data rules for your OTM operational rates.
8. In the modeling scenario finder, select the two scenarios and click Actions > Scenario Bulk Plan. This will run the scenario bulk plan for both modeling scenarios and show the results side-by-side.

Modeling Bulk Plan Specifications

A bulk plan specification allows you to group the orders on scenario and run bulk plans on each group. For an example, see the use case Multi-day Bulk Plan Use Case for Network Modeling.

Note: This grid is not available for scenario work assignment optimization.

For multiple bulk plans, if there is no date field on orders and bulk plan specification start time is in the future, shipments will be built with the start time as bulk plan specification time. For periodic bulk plans, OTM will subtract the offset time from period start time to get the start time of shipments built for that period.

If there are multiple bulk plans, they will be run in parallel. You cannot specify to run in series here, only in the Modeling Bulk Plan Specification screen.

1. Enter Modeling Bulk Plan Specifications. These allow you to further group orders.
   1. Enter the Bulk Plan Specification ID. This may be the only field needed if you are only going to differentiate by the following fields (steps b-f below).
   2. Enter the Saved Query ID. If either an order release or order movement Saved Query ID is entered here and is different than the one defined at the scenario header, OTM will take an intersection of the two. In other words, it considers the orders that are common in both saved queries. If the saved query is defined at project level and not at the scenario level, the intersection is made with the one at the project level. This is helpful if you want to use only a subset of order releases/order movements, defined for the scenario or project, in the bulk plans created for the specification. If it is defined both here and at the header level, then they must be of the same saved query type; either Order Release or Order Movement. If no saved query is specified, either the Scenario or Project saved query is used for the specification.
   3. Optionally, enter a Parameter Override. If a Parameter Override is entered both here and on the scenario, this one will be used. The other will be ignored.
   4. Enter an Order Time Window Type. This allows you to create a grouping based on pickup or delivery date. If you do not select an Order Time Window Type, the default value is Early Pickup Date.
   5. Enter a Start Time. This is the earliest possible start time of the scenario bulk plan. It could be later depending on the Start Time Offset.
   6. Enter a Time Zone. This will be the time zone of the start time. This is not tied to user preferences or location.
   7. Click Save for each Modeling Bulk Plan Specification entered.
2. Click Finished after adding the required details to save the scenario record to database.

Scenario Data Changes

1. Click Scenario Data Changes to see the Scenario Data Changes grid which summarizes the data changes. The grid includes information such as, object type, object ID, change type, number of new objects, etc.
2. Click New Object to add a new row to the grid.
3. Under Data Changes, click Edit to edit the row in the Scenario Data Change screen.
4. Click Delete to delete the row.